But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men." - 2 Timothy 3:1-9, emphasis mineIn the last couple weeks, I've had my personal devotions in 2 Timothy. This was Paul's last canonical letter written to his protégé in Ephesus: Timothy. Throughout this letter, Paul warns Timothy of those who will try to subvert the faith with their ramblings and "new" teachings, attempting - as if possible - to steal even the elect of God to follow their own godless ways. In (re)reading chapter 3, this phrase caught my attention: "having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power."
It's interesting Paul would say this. Jesus talked about false prophets as "wolves in sheep's clothing" (cf Matthew 7:15). The question arises: how does one discern the "appearance of godliness" from true godliness? Jesus said in the very next verse that you will know them by their fruits. By their fruit we'll know if they're a child of God or a child of Satan. But...people can be really good liars.
In a previous post, my sometimes - well, mostly - mentor (whether he realizes it or not ;-) and I are discussing - in part - the fruits of confessing Christians. Turning the tide from newly professing Christians to confessing Christian teachers, the same issue comes up: you will know false teachers by their fruits. How do we judge such things? Jesus says they will be like ravenous wolves, devouring the innocent. Paul picks up on Jesus' imagery, saying they prey on weak women leading them into even heavier burdens in sin. There are some obvious examples of this behavior in modern evangelicalism, in the cults, and else where. What about the subtle wolves, those people who don't make their presence so blatantly obvious?
Not surprisingly, to those who know me and my dark secrets well, there was a time in my life where I could legitimately call myself a wolf in sheep's clothing, leading one particular female sheep - Lord have mercy on me! - astray. Given that experience, I think I have a better idea of these false teachers who prey on the weak. Their evil fruits are there to see if one looks in the right place.
Primarily, they are liars. They not only tell lies, but they live a life of lies. To cover the seam in their garment, they cover themselves with fig leaves. I'm not necessarily talking about the so-called "secret sin" (as if a sin is secret), but I'm talking about a concerted effort to hide their identity as a false teacher from the world. As Paul says, they are putting on an appearance of godliness. In my opinion, the largest piece of fruit in the tree of a false teacher is lying. In this way, they are denying the power of God. In their actions, they deny God changes people. What a person says is important, but their actions are just as - and maybe more - important (cf James 2:15-17). It doesn't matter what they say, if they are self-righteous (attempting to become righteous by their own means), then they are liars, denying the power of the gospel they confess changed their life.
My dear friends, take heed of the warning: examine yourselves. See if you are in the faith. Confess your sin to God and one another. If you discover that your garment of righteousness is torn, then repent of your self-righteousness and return to the Lord. You were once "not his people," but when Christ changes you through his gospel, you will once again become "you are my people" (cf Hosea 2:21-23). Do not follow the conceits of those subtle false teachers - liars in their core - who devour the weak. Be watchful of their words and actions. Instead, following Christ and imitate him; you will not go wrong.
Blessings from a fellow slave in Christ....
In a previous post, my sometimes - well, mostly - mentor (whether he realizes it or not ;-) and I are discussing - in part - the fruits of confessing Christians. Turning the tide from newly professing Christians to confessing Christian teachers, the same issue comes up: you will know false teachers by their fruits. How do we judge such things? Jesus says they will be like ravenous wolves, devouring the innocent. Paul picks up on Jesus' imagery, saying they prey on weak women leading them into even heavier burdens in sin. There are some obvious examples of this behavior in modern evangelicalism, in the cults, and else where. What about the subtle wolves, those people who don't make their presence so blatantly obvious?
Not surprisingly, to those who know me and my dark secrets well, there was a time in my life where I could legitimately call myself a wolf in sheep's clothing, leading one particular female sheep - Lord have mercy on me! - astray. Given that experience, I think I have a better idea of these false teachers who prey on the weak. Their evil fruits are there to see if one looks in the right place.
Primarily, they are liars. They not only tell lies, but they live a life of lies. To cover the seam in their garment, they cover themselves with fig leaves. I'm not necessarily talking about the so-called "secret sin" (as if a sin is secret), but I'm talking about a concerted effort to hide their identity as a false teacher from the world. As Paul says, they are putting on an appearance of godliness. In my opinion, the largest piece of fruit in the tree of a false teacher is lying. In this way, they are denying the power of God. In their actions, they deny God changes people. What a person says is important, but their actions are just as - and maybe more - important (cf James 2:15-17). It doesn't matter what they say, if they are self-righteous (attempting to become righteous by their own means), then they are liars, denying the power of the gospel they confess changed their life.
My dear friends, take heed of the warning: examine yourselves. See if you are in the faith. Confess your sin to God and one another. If you discover that your garment of righteousness is torn, then repent of your self-righteousness and return to the Lord. You were once "not his people," but when Christ changes you through his gospel, you will once again become "you are my people" (cf Hosea 2:21-23). Do not follow the conceits of those subtle false teachers - liars in their core - who devour the weak. Be watchful of their words and actions. Instead, following Christ and imitate him; you will not go wrong.
Blessings from a fellow slave in Christ....
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